The 1993 erotic thriller Sliver was originally supposed to have a different ending: Zeke, played by William Baldwin, was scripted to fly a helicopter toward an active volcano after Sharon Stone’s character, Carly, reveals she’s the killer. The pilot, Craig Hosking, had been tasked with flying low over Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano, accompanied by the director of photography, Mike Benson, and his assistant Christopher Duddy, to film the bubbling lava and white plumes of smoke escaping from the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent. It was a clear day on the Big Island when Duddy watched a corkscrew trail form in the smoke behind the helicopter, and he remembers thinking, “I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this.”
It was November 1992, and a big storm was due to hit the area, so they were shooting as much footage as they could along the coast, capturing the rainforest and brilliant blue ocean shimmering against the black lava of the volcano, before the weather disrupted production. But as they dipped over Puʻu ʻŌʻō for a second time, the helicopter’s engine failed. Their visibility faded as thick smoke engulfed them. Duddy jerked his eyes away from the camera monitors toward the open doors and saw they were heading straight for a cliff. There was a loud crash as the rotor sheared off on impact and the helicopter went into freefall.
Duddy doesn’t remember how long they were plummeting—everything seemed to happen so fast. They were lucky to land upright, on the helicopter’s skids, on a ledge. Hosking had a gash on his eye, and blood was pouring down his face, but they were all alive. “We didn’t even realize where we were when we jumped out,” Duddy recalls. “Then we started looking around and realized we were inside the volcano, about 50 yards away from the lava pool.”
Immediately, they began to choke on the fumes. Duddy’s eyes burned from the sulfur, which smelled of rotten eggs, and they all coughed uncontrollably. He could feel the heat of the boiling lava through his shoes, and smoke shot from his footprints with each step. To escape, they needed to climb a 300-foot cliff face to the volcano’s mouth. “I got in the lead because I was maybe the most scared,” says Duddy. “I’m definitely afraid of heights, but it was pure survival mode.”
The climb itself “was gnarly. You would grab on to the dried lava and it would just break away, and rocks would come flying down.” Duddy scrambled halfway up the inside wall and, when he couldn’t go any further, took root on a little ledge. He could hear the others hundreds of feet below him, but he couldn’t see them.
Hosking returned to the crash site to call for help on the helicopter’s radio, which had been crushed like a beer can. The dashboard was broken, so the radio didn’t work, but he managed to connect the camera battery and make a mayday call. “Every once in a while, the smoke would clear and you could see the helicopter on the ledge at the bottom of the volcano,” Duddy says. “Craig kept running up to this little mound to get some cleaner air because he was really choking and coughing and vomiting. He was not good. It was a little better where we were, on the cliff. There was a little pocket of air that was breathable.”
They heard a helicopter hovering overhead. Hosking was yelling to Duddy and Benson, but they couldn’t make out what he was saying, and then everything went quiet. “We thought he’d died,” says Duddy. In fact, the volcano park rescuers had picked Hosking up, but it sent Duddy into a panic. Benson was calmer. He kept saying, “Just stay put. They know we’re in here. They’re going to rescue us.”
Sure enough, a couple of hours later, the volcano park rescue team arrived.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the scenario My helicopter plunged into freefall inside an active volcano framed as if from a survivor or a curious observer
Beginner General Questions
Q1 Is this even possible Could a helicopter really fall into a volcano
A While extremely rare its technically possible Helicopters conducting scientific surveys filming or tours near volcanic craters could experience sudden engine failure due to ash ingestion turbulent winds or pilot error leading to a crash into the caldera
Q2 What would be the immediate cause of the plunge
A The most likely causes are settling with power sudden loss of lift from ingesting hot ashfilled air or catastrophic mechanical failure triggered by the extreme environment
Q3 Wouldnt you be burned alive instantly
A Not necessarily instantly The fall itself would be the initial threat The crater is a massive space you might plunge through superheated gas and steam before hitting lava or the crater wall The primary immediate dangers are impact toxic gases and extreme radiant heat
Q4 What are the main survival challenges inside the volcano
A 1 Toxic Atmosphere Poisonous gases causing suffocation or poisoning
2 Extreme Heat Leading to severe burns dehydration and heatstroke
3 Unstable Environment Risks of rockfalls eruptions and no stable ground
4 Inaccessible Location Making rescue nearly impossible
Advanced Detailed Questions
Q5 How would the volcanic gases specifically affect me and the helicopter
A Sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide would be immediately toxic causing choking lung damage and disorientation Acidic gases could also corrode the helicopters electronics and metal components rapidly Ash would clog air filters and vents
Q6 Could the helicopters systems survive long enough to attempt a recovery
A Highly unlikely Avionics would fail quickly in the heat and corrosive atmosphere The engine would likely flame out due to lack of clean oxygenrich air Rotor systems could be damaged by ash abrasion or thermal warping
Q7 Is there any scenario where you could survive the impact
A Survival would require an almost miraculous sequence crashing
